Targeted or narrowcast advertising can provide a more effective model for merchants and other advertisers to reach consumers. By better matching ad content with entertainment content and user preferences, a more personalized viewing experience is possible with less resistance to the commercial content from the consumer. Thus, associated commercial content may be received more favorably. Such commercial content, although potentially targeted and/or personalized, is often limited in some contexts to traditional video advertisements.
Variable delivery options for programming, advertising, and other content are due at least in part to continued development of computing devices such as set top boxes (STBs) for cable, satellite and IPTV (internet protocol television), as well as integration of some or all such functionality into televisions and other displays. For example, so-called “interactive” ads have been proposed whereby a viewer must provide responses during the course of an advertisement, such as choices for determining an ending in an advertisement with a variable storyline.
As systems emerge that can tailor advertising to individual consumers, and as flexibility and user control are enabled at consumer systems (e.g., set top boxes), consumers will be more open to accepting and expecting alternative methods for delivery of advertisements, such as those that involve user interaction with advertisements presented in a virtual world environment. When multiple users are placed into a virtual world environment, it should be appreciated that user presence and interaction will often be quite dynamic since users are often in a virtual world for a limited duration of time during each ad presentation opportunity. As such, there remains a continuing need to optimize user representations and interaction within a dynamic virtual world advertising environment.